Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 10:19 pm Post subject: into each life some rain must fall

so, as can happen anywhere, we didn't get much wind today here in lake arenal. i got to the site and sailed a 5.0 as the wind slowed. came back in and grabbed a 5.4 and went back out. got some more time in, but the wind slowed again.

and that's all she wrote. game over.

so be it. global warming seems to be wreaking havoc with traditional weather (wind) patterns no? having sailed in the gorge for a good 10 years, it seems the same there (to me anyway): what you once took for granted in the wind department is now anyone's guess. i guess that just adds fuel to the old adage "never leave wind to find wind."

so i have to apologize, as i have no great wind/sailing pics from today. i will, of course, try again tomorrow and report back. for now, here's a pic of our house:

we walk to the sailing site every day. a quarter mile on the ride and another in the jungle. here's a pic a of the jungle road. a little dirty but SO MANY things to see (including monkeys galore!):

as the wind didn't deliver, we had to find an alternative. fortunately, they had a brand new 2014 inflatable fanatic SUP. i was told all 2014 fanatics now include a mast track on all their boards:

we're hoping for WIND tomorrow! will report back! (will also include pics of the gear department, as requested).

hi SPQR, i have sailed that board here. there are a few here right now. honestly, i didn't know about the new profile so i'm not sure i could remember how it sailed specifically. you know how sometimes they sell a new board but don't change it at all?

i will definitely try it again though and think about it. two of my three boards at home in san francisco are freewave so maybe i might even have something insightful to say!

scotty freeman, from the gorge surf shop (they sell fanatic), is on his way here today. should be here manana. so maybe he'll have some input too.

pretty darn good day at lake arenal, if a little overcast. that happens here sometimes as it's tropical. but that just makes it more fun: 85 degrees and rainstorms that last 5 seconds and refresh more than anything.

9 a.m. to lunch was 5.4 and pretty solidly filled in (though we're used to more than that!). after lunch, 2 to 3 sessions from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. were both 5.4 and 4.7.

overall, not the kind of day that generates pics of huge shove-its and flakas, but that's part of the beauty of lake arenal: it's windy almost all the time, so even on the down days, you can still sail something between 4.7 and 5.8.

after sailing we enjoyed a couple of cold pilsen brews (imperial sucks!) while the sun went down and the wind kicked into high gear. unlike pressure-driven locations, lake arenal is driven by trade winds, so it's often just as windy at night as it is during the day. right now, outside my jungle house, it's blowing 25 mph. and it's 11 pm.

on the walk home it was HOWLING and there were rainbows over the lake. the howler monkeys were all over the trees on the walk out.

rumor has it that they will throw their poo on you if you get too close, but no one on our walk had seen it happen. anyone know if that's true or not? will try to get more monkey pics manana (unfortunately my crappy point and shoot doesn't do too good a job).

then off to equus for some costillas and a centenario rum by the fire! random rain and howling wind buffeted us while we dined and drank by the fire.

now, bear in mind that, as you all know, the camera makes the wind and waves look flatter and more mild than they really are. so keep that in mind...

the mellowish afternoon. amazing how the camera makes everything look so FLAT:

the walk out of the jungle is always beautiful, but today was especially so. the late wind and weather pumped up the sky into a beautiful glow. it reflected onto the hillsides and made rainbows that covered the valley.

Tstizzle - according to Fanatic's website the 2014 Freewave is a complete new design, much shorter and a bit wider. I have two older Freewaves (06 and 07 model years) and still sail them on the Bay but I'm curious how the new design sails. Thanks!!!

haven't yet been able to sail the 2014 freewave. although i've ogled it. it is indeed wider in the nose section but not terribly shorter. i was wrong about 2014 freewaves being here in droves as they were late in distro. the freewaves we have are 2013. but there is a single 86 liter 2014 here and i'm hoping to sail it as soon as the conditions are right.

No worries - my old 96l Freewave is 246cm, the new 96l is 234 and the 116l is 236. If you have the opportunity to report cool, if not no worries, just thought I would ask as I have been looking at Fanatics offerings for 2014 and have always like the Freewaves.

the lake delivered with 4.7 conditions today. bright sunshine and strong wind. i think i burned the whites of my eyes as they are all bloodshot.

the morning started with a little tropical rain and lighter winds (5.3 for me) and then got stronger and sunnier as the day went on. we ended the day at 4:30 with 4.2 - 4.7 wind with killer swell that was coming in sets at about 3-5 feet high.

the swell here is pretty cool though as it's not long, just steep. if you want air you can get it. but if you don't, you just veer off a touch and you easily shoot past it back into a flatter zone.

here are some pics from today:

da gorge / sf delta crew:

the water is a good temp too. it's about 75 degrees so it can be just a hint cool to get into, but that's good as it keeps you cool when you get going. never cold though (except maybe on the windier mornings).

the volcano came out in full force. it's usually covered in clouds.

another:

lunches are homemade. they bring it in and serve it on picnic tables. always hot and include salad and a desert. so far we've had a couple of pasta dishes, chicken and rice with veggies, salads, burgers, and even slow roasted pork loin with cabbage salad and oven roasted potatoes.

as requested previously, a pic of the gear tent. all the sails are north from this year and last. there are ice, duke and some volts. great sails overall. rangy. my fave is the duke. lots of low end force, which is good for us, ahem, "bigger" guys...

second gear tent pic:

i hope to sail that new 2014 fanatic freewave tomorrow, conditions permitting. we'll need some stronger wind as it's an 86 liter and i'm a touch heavier. don't know if it will happen. if not i will ask people who sail it for their thoughts about the differences between it and previous versions. curious myself too as i have two freewaves in my SF quiver.

hope this is a good post. having fun doing it. ciao for now.

Last edited by tstizzle on Fri Jan 10, 2014 11:51 pm; edited 3 times in total

thanks for the support sailnbike! awesome that people are following. will try to take more interesting photos. wish i had more than my crappy point-n-shoot...

SPQR - no prob. i WILL sail that damn thing as you've made me curious myself. like i said, i sail 2 freewaves myself and they're the best boards ever, so i'm personally interested to know the difference. however, we have some wicked sailors here so i will ask them their opinions tomorrow and post their thoughts as well.

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